Employer healthcare premiums soaring in California

SACRAMENTO, April 24 (UPI) -- A survey in California found that health insurance premiums for employers rose five times the rate of inflation over the past 10 years.

In the course of a decade, premiums rose 170 percent, the California Healthcare Foundation said. The Los Angeles Times reported that the inflation rate for the state over the same period was 32 percent.

As costs for employers have risen, the percentage of companies offering health insurance has dropped.

In 2012, 60 percent of the companies in California offered healthcare benefits. Three years ago, 73 percent offered healthcare benefits, the newspaper said.

California, however, is not far behind the national average. Across the country, 61 percent of employers provide some healthcare benefits, the Times said.

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